The Director, China Cultural Centre in Nigeria (CCCNIG), , Mr Li Xuda has revealed that Tea has gone beyond popular drink around the world to become Special Language Of Global Communication.
Li, who doubled as the Cultural Counselor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, stated this on Thursday, 18 May 2023, at a ceremony titled “Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural Salon,” which took place at the Main Hall of the China Cultural Centre, Abuja.
“Nowadays tea has not only become a popular drink around the world, but also acted as a special language of Global Communication. In every country, lots of people like to drink tea with their family members and friends. It is no exaggeration to say “drinking tea has become important way of enjoying leisure time and social interaction for many people.”
“As large countries with splendid tradition and colorful culture, both China and Nigeria treasure harmony in their relations with nature as well as people. We have been promoting ethnic and religious harmony year by year, generation by generation to create a harmonious society and state. In China, it is generally accepted that harmony is the most important traditional value facilitating personal growth and social progress.”
Speaking further on the relevance of tea, Li explained that, “Tea creates harmony, promotes harmonious relationship and mutual appreciation among the people all over the world. Through holding this event, we want to share with our distinguished guests unique and profound Chinese Culture, the fragrance and good taste of Chinese tea.”
According to Li, Tea originated in China and has gone through a long process of development. “During China’s Tang Dynasty, Chinese tea generally represented tea leaves which have been processed by using methods inherited from ancient China. Today, I think most of us have heard about China’s silk road. Through the ancient silk road, the three main commodities transported from China to foreign countries were silk, tea and porcelain. In fact, tea is deeply woven into the history and culture of China.It is considered as one of the seven necessities of Chinese people’s daily life during thousands of years, along with firewood, rice, Oil, salt, Soy Sauce and Vinegar.”
Here’s the annual value of Chinese tea exports between 2012 and 2022. In 2022, China’s tea export value amounted to nearly 2.1billion U.S. dollars, slightly lower than about 2.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2021.
The event was spiced up with cultural music performances by Tiv dance group and Country Music by Asida.